Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- A man tied to an international
gambling ring involving a Manhattan art gallery and a reputed
Russian crime boss pleaded guilty to charges stemming from what
prosecutors said were two overlapping high-stakes games catering
to celebrities and the wealthy.

The U.S. in April charged 34 defendants, including gallery
owner Hillel “Helly” Nahmad, as part of the crackdown. Today
in Manhattan federal court, Kirill Rapoport, one of the accused,
pleaded guilty to running an illegal poker game, the government
said in a statement.

Another participant in the scheme, William Barbalat,
pleaded guilty earlier this week, prosecutors said.

With the two pleas, “we move closer to holding to account
all those who participated in this wide-ranging network of
criminal conduct linked to organized crime,” Manhattan U.S.
Attorney Preet Bharara said in the statement.

Prosecutors alleged the defendants were affiliated with
overlapping gambling operations run by Vadim Trincher, a New
Yorker, and his son, Illya Trincher, of Beverly Hills,
California.

Other people charged include Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov,
allegedly a “Vor,” or high-level Russian criminal, who has
also been charged in connection with bribing officials at the
2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Picasso Gallery

Nahmad, owner of the Helly Nahmad Gallery at the Carlyle
Hotel on Madison Avenue, is charged with racketeering,
conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and other crimes. His
gallery sells paintings by modern masters including Pablo
Picasso.

The Trinchers and Nahmad have pleaded not guilty, according
to court records. Tokhtakhounov is still at large, the
government said.